Draft:Religious Inclusivism
Religious Inclusivism is a theological perspective asserting that while truth and validity are exclusive to a single specific religion, salvation remains accessible to followers of other faiths.[1] Scholars often categorize religious inclusivism as a distinct theory, contrasting it with Religious Pluralism and Religious Exclusivism, which emerged in response to religious diversity;[2] however, others classify it as a form of "soft exclusivism."[3]
Like exclusivists, inclusivists maintain that there is only one path to salvation, uniquely present in a specific religion. Yet, aligning with pluralists, they acknowledge that God's grace and favor manifest in various forms across different traditions, allowing for the salvation of their adherents.[4]
Some researchers identify Morteza Motahhari (d. 1979), a prominent Shia thinker, as a proponent of religious inclusivism.[5] Distinguishing between the "innate Muslim" and the "geographical Muslim," Motahhari argues that individuals who possess a spirit of submission but remain unaware of the truth of the religion of Islam—through no fault of their own—are not subject to Divine Punishment. He cites the verse, "We do not punish until We send a messenger."[6] In his view, such individuals, even if adhering to another faith, are considered innate Muslims and are eligible for salvation.[7]
In Modern Theology, the theory of inclusivism is frequently associated with Karl Rahner, a 20th-century Catholic theologian and scholar of religion.[8] While Rahner regarded Christianity as the absolute religion and the sole vehicle for salvation, he termed sincere seekers of God in other traditions "anonymous Christians," deeming them capable of attaining salvation.[9] This perspective subsequently influenced the Catholic Church; during the Second Vatican Council,[Note 1] the Church declared that it rejects nothing that is true and holy in other religions, regarding their conduct and ways of life with respect.[10] Previously, the Church had held that salvation was exclusive to its own communion.[11]
| View | Truth | Salvation | Theorist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pluralism | All religions | All religions | John Hick |
| 2 | Exclusivism | Only one specific religion | Only one specific religion | |
| 3 | Inclusivism | Only one specific religion | Possibility in all religions | Karl Rahner |
Notes
- ↑ Peterson et al., ʿAql wa iʿtiqād-i dīnī, 1393 Sh, pp. 414–415; Yūsufiyān, Kalām-i jadīd, 1401 Sh, pp. 282–283.
- ↑ Irlenborn, "Religious Diversity: A Philosophical Defense of Religious Inclusivism", p. 128.
- ↑ Irlenborn, "Religious Diversity: A Philosophical Defense of Religious Inclusivism", p. 131.
- ↑ Peterson et al., ʿAql wa iʿtiqād-i dīnī, 1393 Sh, pp. 414–415.
- ↑ For example, see: Qadardān Qarāmalikī, Kalām-i falsafī, 1383 Sh, pp. 107–108; Marwī-nām, "Shumūl-garāʾī-yi najāt az dīdgāh-i Kārl Rānar wa Ustād Muṭahharī wa naqsh-i ān dar guftugū-yi Masīḥiyyat wa Islām", p. 14.
- ↑ Qur'an 17:15.
- ↑ Muṭahharī, ʿAdl-i ilāhī, 1391 Sh, pp. 269–270.
- ↑ Yūsufiyān, Kalām-i jadīd, 1401 Sh, pp. 283.
- ↑ Hick, "Taʿaddud-i adyān", p. 33.
- ↑ Irlenborn, "Religious Diversity: A Philosophical Defense of Religious Inclusivism", p. 132.
- ↑ Irlenborn, "Religious Diversity: A Philosophical Defense of Religious Inclusivism", p. 132.
References
- Hick, John. "Taʿaddud-i adyān". Translated by Bahāʾ al-Dīn Khurramshāhī. Keyhān, no. 16, 1372 Sh.
- Irlenborn, Bernd. "Religious Diversity: A Philosophical Defense of Religious Inclusivism". European Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 2010.
- Marwī-nām, Muḥsin. "Shumūl-garāʾī-yi najāt az dīdgāh-i Kārl Rānar wa Ustād Muṭahharī wa naqsh-i ān dar guftugū-yi Masīḥiyyat wa Islām". Justār-hā-yi falsafa-yi dīn, no. 1, 1399 Sh.
- Muṭahharī, Murtāḍā. ʿAdl-i ilāhī. Qom: Intishārāt-i Ṣadrā, thirty-eighth edition, 1391 Sh.
- Peterson, Michael et al. ʿAql wa iʿtiqād-i dīnī. Translated by Aḥmad Narāqī and Ibrāhīm Sulṭānī. Tehran: Ṭarḥ-i Naw, eighth edition, 1393 Sh.
- Qadardān Qarāmalikī, Muḥammad-Ḥasan. Kalām-i falsafī. Qom: Intishārāt-i Wuthūq, first edition, 1383 Sh.
- Yūsufiyān, Ḥasan. Kalām-i jadīd. Qom: Intishārāt-i Samt, ninth edition, 1401 Sh.
Template:Modern Theology
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